"Blood In Silver Spring"

A/N: Some morbidity. Warning for murder scene- slightly graphic if your imagination works.

* * * * * *

It was 0935 before Mac finally made it into Chegwidden's office to find Lieutenant Commander Tracy Mannetti already seated. After standing her easy and inviting her to take a seat, the RADM sighed and leaned back against his chair.

"How's your work load Colonel?" he asked, lobbing the question in her general direction casually.

"Lighter than usual Sir," she replied cautiously, "Why do you ask, Sir?"

He straightened his back, rested and then folded his arms against the desk and pushed a file across to her, "It just got heavier. Three female NCO's, Chief Petty Officer Sophie O'Donnell, Petty Officer Second Class Melinda Houston and Able Seaman Lucinda Mendel have all filed complaints of sexual harassment against Captain Thomas Robinson, their commanding officer. Commander Mannetti, you're defending- pick a co-counsel if you can find someone free, but I think you can handle it on your own. Colonel?"

She looked up from the file and returned his gaze, "Sir?"

"Prosecution."

"Yes Sir."

"Captain Robinson intends to discharge instead of renewing his commission and run for Senate in the mid-term elections coming up later this year. He has political aspirations and this would be a potentially fatal detriment to his image in that regard. There may be some press control needed- he's reasonably high profile at the moment in the lead up to his campaign. Between the two of you, I am sure you will be able to manage without causing any lasting damage to the reputation of the services. That means you are not authorised to use any combat training you may or may not have undergone to subdue the media, however annoying they may be and/or tempting assault is. Trial dates are set for Thursday; I'm trying to get everything through as fast as possible because it seems to be appearing on my desk faster than it is leaving. We're still short of judges of course, so I trust you will manage to get this along quickly. Any questions?"

"No Sir," the women replied in unison.

"Then get to work."

"Yes Sir."

"Dismissed."

They both rose, came to attention and replied, "Aye Sir."

Once outside the office, Mannetti turned to her and said, "Interested in a deal Ma'am?"

Mac laughed, "After I read the files Commander."

"How about we discuss it over lunch?"

The other woman started to agree before remembering her previous engagement, "Oh I'm sorry, I've already agreed to lunch with someone."

"That's Ok Ma'am, we'll talk tomorrow morning."

"No I can cancel- it's only Commander Rabb, he'll understand."

Mannetti smiled the knowing smile Mac hated getting from her colleagues every time she mentioned Harm's name, "No, you have your lunch. I'd like to go through this stuff first and give it some thought before we discuss anything anyway"

Mac hated being on the other end of those smiles. If she agreed it meant she *wanted* to attend her original appointment, the reason for this constantly overelaborated. If she disagreed, she was trying to appear as though the overelaboration wasn't justified. Sighing, she opted for the former strategy.

"Ok, how about we talk tomorrow morning?" she suggested.

"Sounds good Ma'am."

They were standing outside Mac's office when the junior officer nodded and left, flashing another knowing smile at the sight of her lunch companion hovering nearby. Mac decided she really hated those smiles. Stepping into her office and placing the file on top of her notes on the Article 32 down at Quantico, she picked up the phone and called Captain McGrath to cancel their meeting that afternoon. It took her twenty minutes to arrange to meet Petty Officer Houston and Able Seaman Mendel at 1430 that afternoon. She was listening the phone ringing while waiting for Chief Petty Officer O'Donnell to answer when she noticed afore mentioned lunch companion looking at her inquisitively through the door. Lifting a hand, she motioned for him to come in, a pen between her thumb and forefinger and the phone held to her ear by her shoulder.

"What do you want?" she asked, as someone picked up the phone at the other end, "No sorry, I wasn't talking to you. Hello, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie from the JAG's office. Is Chief Petty Officer O'Donnell there?"

There were several seconds of silence.

"Oh she's not in today? Ok, could you give me her home phone number so I can speak with her? It's in regard to the charges she filed against her CO. Yes, ok, thank you. So that's---" she repeated the number, and put the phone down.

"Don't you have work to do?" she asked, "Something about negligent homicide and a crashed Tomcat. *The* case of the week, as you and Turner never cease to remind me."

"Co-counsel's working on it," he grinned.

"And you're wasting time?"

"En-route to get something photocopied."

"You're on the wrong side of the office- copy room's that way."

"Took a detour- sight-seeing."

She raised an eyebrow, picking up the phone and dialling the number scrawled on a loose leaf of paper in front of her, "Well, I don't know what land marks are in my office, but--- yes hello? Chief, is that you? Hello, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie from the JAG's office. Yes, this is about the charges against Captain Robinson. I'll be presenting the government's case, so yes, I'm on you're side, although I'd advise you not to think of it that way. No one here is against you, we just have to defend him because everyone deserves a fair trial. Anyway, I've organised a meeting this afternoon at 1430 with the other women, and I was wondering--- oh you can't? Can I speak with you this morning? You're sick? Ok, well I can come out and see you if you'd like. Ok, what time? Yes, 1300's fine. Yes, that's Ok. Well I'll see you then," she put the phone down again.

"As I was saying, I don't know what you were hoping to see, however I believe you have work to do."

"Well I wanted to see you," he began, ignoring her suppressed laughter and continuing, "Because someone said you got *the* case of the week and were never going to cease reminding Sturgis and I of it."

"Just a CO harassing his NCO's- no big deal."

"You act as though it happens every day."

"Well, we get more 134's than anything else."

"That's because there's a greater number of offences under Article 134 than any other."

"Well done Newton," she commented sarcastically, "Hey listen, I know I said I'd eat with you, but I've got to meet Chief O'Donnell at 1300 then the others at 1430, so can I postpone it til tomorrow?"

"We're in court all day all week starting tomorrow, but yeah, we'll see."

"Now stop dumping poor Bud with all the work and do what they pay you for," she instructed.

"You know what's strange, we actually pay ourselves with our tax money," he observed idly.

She sniggered, "Yes, now earn it- shoo."

"I was just leaving."

"Good!"

She smiled at the closed door, picking up the folder, gathered her things, deciding reading away from the office on a scenic de-tour of her own would be far more productive than hanging around waiting to drive out to interview Chief O'Donnell.

A quiet park in suburbia was waiting.

* * * * *

1800 ZULU (1300 EST)

"Harm?"

Her voice was panicked; he noticed it as soon as he picked up the phone.

"Mac, what's wrong?"

"No- nothing."

Her reply was shaky.

"Where are you?"

"At CPO O'Donnell's house," she swallowed nervously, "Harm?"

"What?"

"She's dead."

He knew that was her way of asking him to come and find her.

"Hold on, I'm coming."

She exhaled in relief, "Thank you."

* * * * * *

When he arrived around twenty minutes later, she was still shaking against the wall of the hallway, next to the phone.

"Mac?"

"Oh thank God."

And that was about as much as information he was going to receive from her at that moment. Reaching for her arm, he stepped closer to her and took her hand gently.

"Hey are you Ok?"

She nodded with her eyes closed, gripping his hand tightly.

"What happened?" he asked her when her eyes opened after several silent minutes. Standing independently, she did a lap of the hallway before returning to him and replying, "The Chief and another woman are in there," she pointed to the arch which preceded the entrance to the living room, "Dead," she finished.

"Cause?"

"Hard to tell. There's a lot of blood and it looks like murder in at least one case."

"Murder-suicide?"

"Can't say for sure, but their wounds indicate something like that. It looks like a shooting, but I can't actually remember seeing a weapon. I sort of freaked out when I saw--- it's a real mess in there," she informed him, "Brains all over the wall."

"Have you called the police?"

"Not yet."

"Well you do that and I'll go look."

"Couldn't pass up an opportunity to see a body could you Commander?" she jibed, reaching for her cell phone.

"Why not use the land line?"

"It's been cut," she responded, gesturing to the missing piece of wire halfway up the cord along the wall, "Hello, I'm Lt Colonel Sarah Mackenzie of the Navy's Judge Advocate General's office. I was on my way to interview a possible witness this morning and I found her and another woman dead. It appears to be homicide."

He stopped listening at that point, leaving Mac pacing the hallway with the phone to her ear and walking through the kitchen, which was spotless. Continuing into the living room, he understood why she had fled from the room. When he entered, the back of the sofa was facing him, but the curtains of the window next to the chair were billowing the wind, and stained crimson. Rounding the sofa, he first saw the Chief slumped forward in the chair, her head resting on her knees and her feet touching the ground. She was wearing a Navy uniform- a CPO's winter blues. Her right hand- blistered and swollen- gripped the sawn off stock of a .22 semi- automatic Ruger rifle, her index finger resting on the trigger. The barrel had also been sawn off, flush with the rear sight. She had been visibly shot two times- upwards through the jaw into the roof of her mouth and behind the right ear into her skull. Mac was right- her brains were indeed plastered against the wall.

Beside her, another woman was upright on the sofa, with two gunshot wounds to the left side of her head- one near the corner of her mouth and the other through the temple. Her throat had been slashed and her head beaten by a blunt object. Her head was slumped forward and slightly sideways, one hand resting on her thigh. She was clothed in bloodstained civilian dress- blue denim jeans and a simple white sweater, which remained fully zipped and sneakers on her feet.

Near the rifle on the peach coloured carpet was a spent shell. There was also a clump of hair on the end of the shortened barrel. He found the missing piece of phone chord wound around the second woman's neck. A lamp lay beside the couch with human hair around the edge of the lampshade. The blood contrasted against the light coloured carpet, the couch was soaked and the curtains splattered with body fluids. Other than that, the two bodies and the overturned lamp, there were few signs of a struggle. His final observation was that they were both very dead.

He returned to find Mac at the front door, waiting for the police.

"Are you all right?"

She grimaced slightly, "Yes, I am fine. What is your verdict?"

He shrugged- she'd slipped into full Marine mode again, which definitely meant she wasn't fine. Her degree of professionalism and excruciatingly correct grammar was always an indication she was profoundly affected by an experience. He decided to let it go however, because she never took to being prodded into conversation well, "I agree with you. It could be murder- suicide. The weapon's a Ruger 10/22, looks like a .22, cut down. There are two cartridges jammed in the breech. Two bullets in the head each."

She stared up at him, "Where?"

"The civvy has two through the left side of the face- one through the cheek, the other the temple. The CPO? Upwards through the jaw, then through the right side of her temple."

"Suicide?"

"Probably, but they both look pretty dead. Other than that, what've you got on her friend?"

"They were close. Jane Walters, a civvy. She works in Arlington- wasn't in this morning."

"How long since you spoke to the Chief?"

"3 hours, 44 minutes and about 13 seconds," she replied immediately, "So they died sometime after 1000 this morning."

"How'd she sound when you called?"

"Sick. She wasn't in today because she had the flu, so I agreed to come and see her. I have to present a case starting Thursday and even if she was sick, I couldn't afford the time."

"Was she upset at all?"

"No motive there if that's what you're asking. Any signs of a struggle?"

"A bit of upturned furniture, that's all."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, subsequently opened by Mac. Two police officers greeted them. After exchanging greetings, they followed the military officers into the living room and ushered them to the side while they called the homicide branch to dispatch a forensics unit. Seeing her expression harden as she watched the officers make their rounds, Harm wordlessly took her hand again. She ignored it for a minute before relaxing into the contact, silently grateful. After noting their observations, the officers then turned on Harm and Mac, one cornering each. Mac was invited into the kitchen to talk and give a statement.

"Ma'am, I'm Police Sergeant Reid."

He offered a hand, which she shook replying, "Lt Colonel Mackenzie."

They both sat and he began questioning her, "I'm going to ask you to give us a statement. Please answer my questions as honestly as you can with the information you know. Ok, firstly, what time did you arrive here this morning?"

"1258," she responded.

"And you've been here for an hour and half is that correct?"

"Yes Sergeant."

"At what time did you call the police?"

"Forty five minutes ago at 1343."

"Why the delay Colonel?"

"I was, ah, a little shocked after seeing what happened, so I called my partner, the Commander. He suggested calling the police after he arrived."

"What do you do in the Army?"

"I'm Marine Corps, and a lawyer Sergeant."

"So I suppose you don't see scenes such as this very often?" he probed, his tone slowly becoming more condescending.

"More often than you would think," she responded evenly, maintaining his gaze pointedly.

"Did you witness what happened here today?"

"No."

"Were the women dead when you arrived?"

"Yes."

"What did you see when you got here?"

"I saw the Chief slumped forward as she is know, the weapon in her hand and Jane Walters upright with bullet wounds to the left side of her face. The carpet and curtains and sofa cushions were stained with what appeared to be blood."

"How did you know it was Miss Walters accompanying CPO O'Donnell?"

"Her purse is on the kitchen counter. Driver's license."

"What did you do after you found the two women?"

"I went back to the hallway to find the phone, but the line was cut, so I called my partner on my cell phone and waited there until he arrived."

"So you were alone here from 1 o'clock until half past 1?"

"Yes Sergeant."

"And after that your partner was the only person here with you?"

The contempt in his voice began to irritate her.

"That would appear to be the case given the times I have already enlightened you to."

"Why were you coming here Colonel?"

"To interview Chief Petty Officer O'Donnell to determine whether she would be a valuable witness in an upcoming trial Sergeant."

"Were you involved with the Chief?"

She coughed, her eyebrows rising in shock, "No Sergeant. We'd never met before."

"But you were going to house to interview her for a case you're working on?"

"Yes Sergeant. She was sick today so I couldn't meet her on base. I have to be in court on Thursday so I had to speak with her as soon as possible."

"Do you often do this with potential witnesses Colonel?"

"No Sergeant, I do not."

"People you've never met?"

"Sergeant, I spoke with the Chief on the phone this morning at 0845 to determine whether she would be present at a meeting I am due at in 27 minutes. She informed me that she would be unable to attend that afternoon due to a doctor's appointment at Bethesda, so I asked her if she would mind if I asked her a few questions this morning. She replied that she was perfectly willing to answer my questions, but due to her illness was unable to come into JAG headquarters were I am currently stationed. I advised her that I was able to come to her and speak with her and we arranged to meet here at 1 o'clock, before she left for her appointment in the afternoon and I met with the two other women pressing charges. If that is not a satisfactory explanation of my presence here you can verify the conversation I had with the Chief through Commander Rabb, also stationed at JAG. He was present at the time of the conversation as we were discussing our lunch plans for this afternoon."

"Who was the Chief pressing charges against?"

"Her Commanding Officer in a case of harassment which does not currently pertain to this matter and is not in public record, therefore the details of which I am unable to disclose."

"If sworn charges have been made then you are obliged to tell me."

"I have told you of the nature of the charges and the Chief's involvement to my knowledge so far. I never got to interview her, so I am unaware of why her charges were laid."

"You've mentioned your colleague several times in this conversation. How long have you been involved with your partner?"

"We're partners professionally," she explained, thinking it a misunderstanding.

"I was aware of that fact."

"I do not see how your continued speculation into my personal life bears any pertinence in this situation Sergeant. I believe I have assisted you to the extent of my ability. I cannot tell you any more than I already have."

"You have to answer my questions," he retorted, actually sneering at her.

"I do not have to answer your questions Sergeant. I am a lawyer; you picked the wrong person to throw that one at. I do not have to inform you of anything, now if you'll excuse me, I believe this conversation has reached the scope of it's worth."

The arrival of the homicide squad interrupted their conversation. She sat alone at the table for a moment before the Sergeant returned to her and said, "Thank you for your time Colonel. I am needed in there. You and your partner are free to leave when you wish to, and I've already elicited your contact details from you. I'll be in touch."

She nodded, snorting as he left the room, "More like you want to be needed in there."

"Talking to yourself again?" Harm grinned at her, appearing from the living room, "It's worse than a war zone in there. Come on, let's go."

"How was your chat with the boys in blue?"

"All right, couldn't tell them much apart from what I saw in there. What about you?"

"He was a jerk."

"Oh. One of those people who can't believe there are high-ranking female Marine officers?"

"Not really. One of those men who can't believe women achieve anything in life by means other than sex."

He offered her a hand to extract her from the chair, "How bad was it?"

She accepted and stood, straightening her jacket, "He actually asked if I was 'involved' with the Chief, as in, if we were lovers or something."

He snickered softly, "I'm surprised the guy's still intact."

"Yeah well---" she trailed of a clenched a fist, "It was tempting, especially when he asked me if we were involved too."

"If we were lovers or something?" was the quick reply with just a hint of veiled innuendo.

She smiled gently, "Yeah."

"What did you say?"

"That we were involved professionally as partners. Why, what did you expect me to say?"

"Something to that effect," he replied guardedly.

Awkward moment #1 059.

"Of course I half expected him to end up sprawled on the ground after a swift kick to the face, but you're more eloquent than I am I guess," he added as a joke.

"No, I was just wearing a skirt," she replied, "Ever tried to scissor kick someone in a skirt?"

"No, as a matter of fact I haven't."

"Well when you do," she paused on account of the interesting and visual she was getting, "You will understand why they give us BDU's in war zones."

They had reached the front lawn now, and he paused with a hand on her arm, "Are you Ok to drive?"

She nodded, "I'm Ok."

Noting his look she added, "Really. Thank you for coming out here," she smiled slightly, "I needed that."

He stepped closer to her, "That's Ok."

They stood frozen in place, standing quite close. Mac was looking down at her feet, studying the ground with utmost attentiveness.

"Are you really Ok?" he asked her softly.

Mac knew she shouldn't have looked up. If she did, their lips would be less than inches apart.

"Yeah," she answered, lifting her head to look him in the eyes.

Unconsciously, she leant towards him. He mirrored the action. He was very alert to the fact that their lips were almost touching. It would've been nice if he'd kissed her then she thought, a burning sensation rising in her throat until she realised she wasn't breathing. They both looked away hurriedly and she inhaled deeply.

Awkward moment #1 060.

"Where are you going now?" he questioned, trying to recover from the silence.

"I've got to talk to Able Seaman Mendel and Petty Officer Houston at 1430, so I'd better get going."

"Call me when you get there Ok? I have to finish preparing our opening for tomorrow, otherwise I'd go with you."

Her eyes narrowed, "I'm fine you know."

"Yeah, but if something like that ever happened to you I wouldn't be."

Awkward moment #1 061.

"Are you Ok?" she inquired, suddenly realising the reasons behind his reaction. It was unlike either of them to verbally admit they needed each other, but it was said in different ways- his protectiveness was one.

"That was some pretty horrible stuff that went on there today."

She nodded in agreement, "Cold-blooded murder is never pretty."

"Mac---"

"We're fine," she assured him, placing a hand on his arm, "Nothing like that is ever going to happen to me."

She saw his eyes become guarded, and she could no longer read his expression. She pulled her hand away quickly.

Awkward moment #1 062.

"Just call me when you get there Ok?"

"Sure," she responded softly, stepping away towards her car.

"Mac---"

Awkward moment #1 063.

"I've got to go, I'll talk to you in about twenty-seven minutes."

"Bye."

"Yeah, see you later."

He closed the door for her as she slid into her seat, watching his facial expression curiously before sighing. It had been such a good day before she'd walked in to find the friends dead. They'd known each other since high school, she reflected, but if one had indeed murdered the other, how well did they really know each other? And how well could you really know someone if a high-school friend had failed to notice her companion becoming a cold-blooded killer? Could people really keep secrets that big from each other?

She laughed at herself.

Of course they could.

She knew that.

* * * * *

A/N: The murder-suicide or double murder as it may be portrayed here is based around an actual case in which the official ruling was murder-suicide near my hometown in 1991. Julie-Ann Leahy and Vicki Arnold both died from gunshot wounds, and Leahy was also assaulted in a way very similar to the described assault of the fictional Jane Walters. These two women were brutally murdered in what is perhaps the most important case in Australian forensic history; the horrific nature of the crime is almost unparalleled in this country. The verdict of the coroner was however murder-suicide, despite gapping holes in the police theory including the cartridges and the jammed breech and several other nasty facts which deem the theory improbable at best and impossible at worst. The truth of this matter has never been recovered, and police to this day say they are right and that their investigation covered all possibilities, despite the statements by officers that a third party was considered unlikely and that this element was not explored. In the following chapters, I'll illustrate the main flaws in the police theory through the case portrayed in this fic. Until then, Vicki Arnold was painted a murderer in death despite contrary evidence and reasonable doubt as to her guilt and Julie-Ann Leahy was viciously killed- I still pray that the truth will be sought and may they rest in peace.

Also, a short disclaimer- the information for the description of the crime scene and much of the evidence was taken from Robert Reid's novel 'Third Party To Murder' which explores the possibility of a double murder causing the death of Leahy and Arnold as mentioned above.