"Alright," John said, stepping onto the campus at Llanview University. "Somebody tell me what's going on here! Where's Vega?" John glanced over at a bench by a patch of bushes. Antonio crouched down in front of Jessica Buchanan, trying to get her to drink something as John approached them.
"She was lying there..." Jessica said. "She was..."
"Jessica found the body," Antonio informed him. "She's shaken."
"She was just lying there..."
Jessica," John said. "How much of this did you see?" He looked at Antonio. "Do we know who she was?"
"Madison... Madison Kensington" Jessica said.
"Jessica," John said. "Did you see anything? Is there anything you can tell us..."
"Do you really have to do this now?" Antonio said. "She's..."
"Michael," Jessica blurted. John looked at her with a blank stare. "Your brother yesterday... they argued... he grabbed her..."
"My brother..." John said.
"He made a scene... he grabbed her. She told him he was hurting her..."
"Agent McBain," an officer said. "The Commissioner is here. He's looking for you."
John sighed, stepping back under the yellow crime scene tape towards Bo Buchanan. "Madison Kensington," Bo said. "We have a problem here, John and it involves your brother." John ran his fingers back through his hair. "He practically admitted to me yesterday that he wanted the girl dead."
"Michael," John said. "I just don't think he'd do this, Bo. The kid's got his convictions. Killing... anyone would just go against everything Michael ever believed."
"We have to go with the evidence, John. I'm sorry."
"I want to do this then. I want to be the one to question him." John said. "Let me get to the bottom of this. You... go to your niece. She's really torn up." John took a deep breath. "Keep this area roped off" he called. "Nobody goes back there, got it?"
Al had spent the night sleeping in a chair again. He still couldn't get used to this whole Michael McBain thing. He heard a knock at the door, twisting his neck with a murmured moan.
"Go away!" Al called, exhausted.
"Mike! Open the door." John said. "We need to talk... now."
"John," Al sighed. "Bad time."
"Open the door, Mikey! Open the door or I'll break it down."
Al attempted to get up, his muscles cramped, rubbing the back of his neck as he swung the door open. "What?" he said.
"Sit down, Michael," John said pointedly. Al remained standing. "Hey, you do whatever you want but I better get a straight answer from you."
"A straight answer about what?" Al asked.
John folded his arms across his chest. "Where were you last night?"
"Here," Al said "All night."
"Alone?"
"No, John. I went trolling the streets before coming here. I've got a girl hiding in my room. Of course I was alone."
"What did you and Madison ague about yesterday?"
"What don't I argue with Madison about?"
"Can you cut the bull for just a minute!" John said. "Madison's dead, Mike. And, right now, you're looking really good for her murder... and all those other girls."
"Madison's dead?" Al said. "I didn't kill her, John. I didn't kill anyone."
"Half of the campus heard you tear into her yesterday. You told Bo you wanted her dead..."
"I didn't say anything like that," Al said. "God, I didn't kill her, John. I didn't even see her after I left the student center. We fought and I left. I didn't see her after that. I swear." Al looked at him. "You don't believe me. You think I did this."
"Everything's pointing at you."
"Why would I do this, John? Why would I risk everything I ever worked for because some girl rubbed me the wrong way? You became a cop to be like Dad. I became a doctor to save people... like I couldn't save Dad. I wouldn't tale a life, John. Especially after watching something like that happen to him."
Al didn't know where this was coming from. He was letting loose emotions that weren't his own. Memories and feelings of another man. It was as if Michael had completely taken over him.
"I don't think you did it." John said. "I don't think you did this, Mike, but Bo is going to be all over you. He's probably going to want to see you down at the station. He's going to need to hear the story... and you're going to have to tell him the whole story. Not just the parts that are important because Michael McBain says they're important."
"Can they lock me up?" Al asked. "Can they put me in jail, John?"
John could only foresee the possibility of Michael ending up in a holding cell. Especially if they were to find anything directly linking him to the crime scene.
"They are not going to put you in jail. I am heading up this investigation, I am not going to let them put you in jail if you didn't do this."
"I didn't" Al said "You believe me, right, John?"
John was silent for a while. "I don't think you did this, Mike. And if you accept my help, I'm offering it."
Al nodded. "Thank you."
"They're probably going to want to talk to you later on. I'll... come by if they need you."
"Thanks, John." Al shook his hand before John left the apartment.
"Way to go, baby" Luna said.
"Way to go?" AL said. "The cops are looking at me for the Music Box Murders."
"But you and Johnny are starting off on the right foot."
Al threw his arms up. "I'm not going to be starting off on the right foot with anyone if I'm strapped into an executioner's chair."
"Relax, sugar," Luna said. "Ain't nobody gonna tie you down." She paused. "Can I give you some advice, Al?" Trust John McBain. You can trust him, baby. Right now he's on your side and you need that."
"So is this a good start?" Al asked. "I mean it takes care of part of the deal, right? Making peace with John."
"Well..." Luna turned away from him."
"Well? Why don't I like the sound of that? Luna?"
"Well... ya haven't exactly made peace yet baby." Al started to speak, but Luna held her hand up, stopping him. "Listen to me, sugar. He believes you, that's a start. Now you gotta... build on that."
"Build on that" Al echoed. "I don't see how any of this is helping me with Marcie."
"Michael's got his own problems, sugar. You redeem him..."
"How'd I get stuck with this guy?"
"Al..."
"I know, I know," Al sighed. "I agreed to the baggage."
"There ya go, sugar. You're learnin'."
"So what now?" Al asked. "Where do I go from here?"
"Well..." Luna said. "Ya see them keys over there? Ya lock up your apartment and you go to work."
"Work? You mean you actually want me to go and... be a doctor? I don't know how to be a doctor, Luna. I can't even tell you how many bones are in the human body and you want me to examine patients?"
"206."
"Huh?"
"206. There are 206 bones in the human body." Luna said. "Now you know. Go to work, Al."
