Tyre chpt 21
Monday 8:23 a.m.
Washington D.C.
Stepping off the elevator, Agent Dana Scully walks through the musty hallway toward her partner's office. Rampant thoughts fill her mind of what he has planned for the day, will it be another alien abduction story or will it be some form of a "paranoia" case he has dug up. She enters their crowded office to find her partner, Agent Fox Mulder, sitting behind his desk reviewing a file.
"Good morning Scully," he greets her with a grinning smile on his face."
"Good morning, what kind of case are you reviewing?" Scully asks even though worries clutter her mind, wondering if it is another case of "little green men."
"I found this file on our desk when I came in this morning. From what I have been reading, it appears there have been a few unsolved deaths that have taken place in a small town in Indiana," Mulder pauses and waits for his partner's response.
"A few deaths? What does that have to do with the X-files, Mulder?" She questions him. Mulder observes his short red-headed partner's facial expressions. She seemed confused to why they were assigned to the case, especially since they investigate only unexplained phenomenon.
"It appears that these deaths are linked to a specific woman, Amber Marx."
"Was Ms. Marx at the scene of the deaths?" Scully inquires while she takes a seat across from Mulder.
"She was on site at the death of her boyfriend slash fiancee yesterday morning," he informs her.
"And the other deaths? Was she at the other death scenes too?"
"Well, there was only one other death," Mulder began, "She was engaged four years ago to a Jerrad Jakeston, but he died shortly after they were engaged. But that's not why we are on the case, we are on the case for the manner in which they died and the evidence at the scene of the crime." he concludes.
"Which is?" Raising her eyebrows, Scully is unsatisfied with the case so far.
"Both deaths occurred shortly after they became engaged with Amber, also; both men were killed in freak accidents. The first, Mr. Jerrad Jakeston was killed by a head on with a Semi-truck.
"What's so freakish about being an automobile accident?"
"Freakish because he was at a rest stop on his way home from a fishing trip. The second, a Mr. Thomas Keen was killed yesterday morning from electrocution by his razor." Noticing her skepticism toward the case evidence, he continues, "Both times police found a silver coin near the body." Pulling out a picture from the folder, Mulder hands his partner a picture of the coin. She observes the coin for a few moments before commenting on it.
"This isn't a coin currently used, from what I can distinguish, it has ancient Greekinscribed onto it, but I can't give you much more until I have a better picture," she looks at it intently trying to make out the words, trying to decrypt the language she once learned during a college course long ago. Giving up on the blurred picture, Scully looks at Mulder with interest, "And they found one of these silver coins at both deaths sites?"
"Yes, within ten feet of both bodies. Pack your bags Scully, looks like we are going to find out if 'there is more than corn in Indiana.'"
Monday 5:20 p.m.
Lyons, Indiana
"I guess this is home for next few days,"
"There's not much choice, we could stay at the Holiday Inn or the Holiday Inn," Scully responded with a hint of annoyance. "Mulder, I reviewed the file and noticed that Amber became religious shortly after she met Jerrad."
"Are you suggesting her religious background is the reason these deaths have occurred?"
"No, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to check into the reasons she decided to become religious and why."
The beaten down house on the dead end of Cass Street had a gathering of police officers as the agents pulled into the driveway. Many eyes stare at the agents wondering who they are and why they are there. Getting out of the car, Lieutenant Deputy Docks questions Mulder and Scully when they step out of their rental car.
"Ah, you must be Special Agent Fox Mulder and Dana Scully," a voiced boomed from behind them in the doorway of the house. As he stepped down the cemented stairs, Sheriff Bargs welcomed the Agents to the case.
"That would be us, Sheriff Bargs," Mulder confirms.
"Do you have any ideas that might help us? The facts don't seem to add up or make sense." worry crept into the Sheriff's voice.
"We have a few theories but nothing concrete, do you mind if we scoop out the house?" Scully asked ready to begin the investigation.
"Of course not. We haven't found anything suspicious, just this silver coin." Sheriff Bargs replied pulling out a plastic bag marked: EVIDENCE containing the coin. Noticing Agent Scully's interest, Sheriff Bargs hands her the evidence.
"This is an ancient coin used as a type of currency around the time of Christ. This particular coin has great significance to the Christian and Jewish religions. On the front is a portrait of the Phoenician chief deity, Baal, and on the back is an Egyptian eagle. It's right claw rests on a ships rudder which represents the great ports," Scully pauses for a moment before continuing. Her brain scrambles to decipher the inscription.
"Do you know what the inscription says?" Mulder asks with interest.
The combination of her own religious background and a class from college, Scully reveals its meaning, "I believe it says, 'Tyre the Holy and Inviolable.' If I am correct, Tyre was a Phoenician city where this was issued."
Mulder's curiosity interrupts Scully, "Why would this coin be significant to Christian and Jews?"
"According to scripture, Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty silver coins. Most of which were suppose to be Shekels of Tyre," she answers.
Satisfied, Mulder turns back to the Sheriff with a few questions. A small group of deputy's gathered around him for the interrogation. Confused faces surround Mulder but he continues with the questions while Scully decides to investigate on her own.
Approaching the house, Scully is not sure what she will find. It was a nice home on the inside, well kept and very clean. Each room smelled of oranges probably to hide the smell of the dog on the furniture. Scully reaches the staircase which lead to the master bedroom and bathroom where Tom Keen had been electrocuted. Her doctor instincts start to kick in while she observes the bathroom. Ducking under the caution tape she enters the room. Blood stains remain untouched from where Tom hit his face on the sink. Splatters of small blood drops are dried on the white, floor tiling next to the sink. Putting on her white latex gloves, Scully looks over the scene hoping to find clues that these small town folk over-looked or wouldn't think of checking. Her blue eyes scan over each object in the room. The sun shines brightly through the window onto her intense red hair. She turns her face into the beam of light and looks out the window. A tree is the only thing in sight of the small backyard. Glancing down, she detects a gray dust-like residue on the windowsill.
"This is a pretty nice bathroom," Mulder interrupts her with the Sheriff behind him.
Turning around Scully asks, "Sheriff Bargs, did you notice this residue on the windowsill?"
The Sheriff's eyebrows rise with interest and he shifts his focus to the pane, "No, we must have missed it."
"Let's run a toxicology scan on this dust and find out what it is and where it came from," Scully instructs them.
Mulder enters the bathroom without noticing anything unusual. Scully turns to him, waiting for a bizarre explanation of the events, but he says nothing. The agents watch the Sheriff walk back down the steps and they enter in the master bedroom where the bed is unmade.
"Mulder, this is obviously not an X-file. All the evidence seems substantial enough to make a substantial murder case," implies the red head skeptic.
Mulder nods his head in agreement, but as he turns around he notices the phone. He focuses attention to the cord phone that was off it's ringer.
"Well I suppose we'll head out," announces the Sheriff who returned to the agents.
"Did you or one of your officers use the phone?" Mulder asks.
"No, we each have two-way talkers for calling out. Why?" Bargs curiosity arises. He, too, notices the phone off the ringer. His face blushes with embarrassment because of the important details his enforcers neglected to discover.
"Can you get the phone records for the past month coming in and out of this house for me Sheriff?" Mulder politely asks.
"Sure, I can give it to you tomorrow if you stop by the station," nodding his head, the Sheriff exits through the door and down the steps.
"I don't think this is a murder case, Scully. Why would Amber murder her fiancée's?"
"She might have a phobia of commitment, perhaps this is just a game to her. There are some cults where women often see themselves more powerful than men and according to what they believe, must sacrifice her partner. These cult followers worship Jezebel who overpowered Ahab," Scully reinforces her murder theory.
"But in the end, didn't Ahab re-gain his power and kill Jezebel?" Mulder argues.
Irritated by her partner's ignorance she questions Mulder. "What do you suggest, what is your theory?"
A grin appears on his face, he waited for her to ask him that question. He formulates a paranormal theory then relies on Scully's scientific background. A background she easily could have entered along with her medical background, yet her interest remains with him in his quest for the truth. He values her opinion greatly, in fact, she is the only one he trusts. He bent his one rule: trust no one, for her. For the six years they have worked together they have trusted in only each other. Through the loss of her sister, the death of her sister, the death of his father, and her abduction and near death experience with cancer, they remain each other's constants on their quest to find the truth about aliens and Mulder's abducted sister.
"I think there is something that we are overlooking...something simple. Let's go back to the Inn and review the evidence found. My room with pizza, your choice."