A/N: Heya, I know that Devan is dead, but that doesn't mean her small portion of the Crossing Jordan fanfiction should be too. I need reviews, people! Reviews help me think, and more importantly, they help this story come together (hey Ellen, I used that word again...).

Disclaimer: Don't own it and never will. And the song used last chapter was Brooke Fraser's "Arithmetic"...forgot to mention that before.

Deception
Chapter 3: Victoria's Secret


That line dividing sanity from insanity was thin, if almost invisible, at the resident morgue. Just two days ago the Massachusetts Medical Examiner's Office had been stable, with only a few dead bodies due for their autopsies. It had even been…quiet. Now, well now there was panic and chaos as relatives of local victims paced around the front desk, waiting to be seen to, while bodies were coming in at an abnormal speed.

Garret Macy passed by the front desk with a backwards glance and immediately gave orders for more doctors to see to the impatient relatives. He made it through to his desk…only to be met with Lily's questioning eyes.

"Garret," she began, "these files arrived for you this morning. And according to Bug there's more on the way."

She gave Garret an almost apologetic look before turning to walk out of the office, only to be stopped by Macy's hesitant orders.

"Can you get a hold of Devan and ask her to see me?"

Lily gave a questioning look before smiling. "Sure."

Garret sat down at his desk, pulling his chair in a little closer. He placed a sweaty hand to his head and sighed, almost strategically, in contempt. All of these files and it wasn't even a full moon. Or…was it? Things like that never really bothered him. Receding gently into his work, he realised the DA's office had been surprisingly quiet lately…

"Doctor Macy?"

Devan poked her head through the open door, knocking once before flashing Garret an impatient look.

Garret looked up. "How's that case going with Woody?"

Devan sighed and leaned in further on the doorframe. "Tough. We're having a hard time getting a warrant for this guy's house."

Garret frowned. "But his fingerprints showed up at the crime scene…"

Devan nodded. "Yeah, we tried that one. Since the fingerprints were taken without consent and this homicide took place in a park, the DA's not accepting it as authenticated."

The young doctor emphasised sarcastically on that last word. Garret rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Let me pull a few strings. I think I can get passed our District Attorney with ease."

Devan sent a knowing smirk to Macy. "Good luck, Doctor M."

She disappeared around the corner before Garret could retort. All he could do was sigh.


Bug typed something meticulously on one of the computers in the lab. DNA sequencing ran over the screen, while on the other one, another sequencing was forming. Bug compared the two with a worried eye. The sequencing was clearly not of the same genetic structure, and yet the murder had been left to look like a mother and child had been killed together. But the evidence suggested that the DNA structure of the child was completely different to that of his mother's.

Devan walked through the swinging doors, picking up a few random papers on her way in. She looked at them thoughtfully before plucking out the last paper. She then looked to Bug. "What are these?"

Bug looked behind him, then at the papers. "The bloodied soil cross-referenced with insect activity. Time of death was ten past twelve two days ago."

Devan sighed. "Great. Well that certainly ties in with what we already know…"

Bug looked fleetingly at the computer screen. "Well, here's something we didn't know, or at least wouldn't have guessed."

Devan walked over to him. "What?"

Bug gestured to the screen. "The DNA sequencing of the child and supposed mother don't match. So either that child was born through IVF or it wasn't the mother's at all."

Devan shrugged. "Either way he wouldn't really be hers."

They were interrupted by Woody's intrusive presence in the room. "Hey guys! According to a local who lives close near the park, there was in fact a scream…a very loud scream. He says it was about midnight, but he thought nothing of it. Said it was probably some kids playing around…"

Woody looked around the room and saw both Bug and Devan standing either side of the computer screen. He sighed then. "What have you found?"

Devan walked over and brushed passed Woody, collecting the files that were resting on a bench. "That the woman who was murdered wasn't the mother of the child who was murdered. The DNA sequencing doesn't fit."

Waving the files behind her to Bug, Devan made for the swinging doors of the laboratory. "I'm going to give these to Macy."

Woody stared after her, then glanced a look at Bug, who shrugged in return. "Since when did she become teacher's pet?"

Bug shrugged again. "Macy's helping us with the warrant. I have another case to work on now so you're going to have to get your cake somewhere else."

Woody nodded. "Great, I've got something to work on anyway, so it looks like I'll get back to you on the cake thing."

Bug gave him a sarcastic look before they both left the room, each going their separate ways down the hall. Woody was headed for the Chief Medical Examiner's small office and was met halfway by Devan, who smiled before walking straight passed him.

"Hey, Woody."

Before she could escape him completely he took her arm. "I need your help with this."

Devan gave Woody a searching look. "With what…?"

Woody looked down for a moment, then back at Devan. "You know how to charm a man, don't you."

And it was no question.


A woman paced contently down one of the many halls of the morgue, looking into each of the different rooms as she passed them. Finally she came across someone she was sent to look for.

"Nigel Townsend?"

The tall man turned around and smiled at what he saw; a young brunette woman, maybe in her mid-twenties, approaching him with an outstretched arm. "May I inquire as to who is asking?"

The woman flashed a card. "Rebecca Berg from the Boston Psychic Community. I was sent here to look for you."

Nigel looked sceptical. "We've had someone like you around here before and that…didn't exactly go down so well, so why don't we talk in the conference room?"

Steering her gently into the empty room, he pulled out a seat for her. She took it with a small smile of appreciation before watching Nigel take his own. "Oh, George Gray sent me. He said to me to give you some help with his sudden death."

Nigel nodded while looking Rebecca right in the eye. "Ms Berg, I'm a believer in many things but…"

The woman looked up suddenly, kindness the only thing present in her brown eyes. "Doctor Townsend, I can assure you that whatever we speak of is pure fact."

Nigel shifted in his seat. "Really?"

Rebecca Berg nodded profoundly. "George and I had a psychic connection, so to speak. We bumped into one another one day on the subway and ever since then we've been able to send each other messages."

Nigel swallowed, clearly uncomfortable. "And what is it exactly he wanted me to know?"

Rebecca nodded her head before clearing her throat. "That it was his time."

Nigel just stared at the woman.


The black car pulled up gently just outside an automobile mechanic shop. The shop's skeleton was nothing more than an old warehouse with peeling green paint. Woody stepped out of the car, followed quickly by Devan.

The blonde M.E. looked to Woody for an explanation. "Woody, what are we doing here?"

Woody looked forward and tucked his hands arrogantly into the pockets of his pressed suit. "You'll see."

Devan sighed. "That doesn't help," she uttered under her breath.

The two neared the entrance and as they stepped through the automatic doors, they were met with a gruff man, whose cropped blonde hair sparkled in the bright sun. A tattoo of a rising eagle was engraved on his muscly bicep, and one of a skull was visible on the back of his neck. This was the man they were looking for.

"Josh Jones?" Woody stepped up to the man with an outstretched hand, that which did the intimidating man ignore.

"Who wants to know?" Josh Jones frowned at Woody and gave Devan the once-over with an appreciative eye.

Woody smirked at him. "Detective Hoyt, Boston PD," he gestured to Devan. "Doctor Maguire from the Medical Examiner's Office. We have a few questions."

"We do?" Devan muttered to herself.

Woody faintly heard her but ignored the quipped comment. "Mr. Jones are you familiar with a past colleague of yours called Adam Moore?"

Josh Jones picked up a spanner and walked over to a bench. "Yeah. The son of a bitch gave me a good one on my lip with a right hook. Never forget it," he gestured to a scar just below his lip. "Split my skin real good."

Devan folded her arms. "Differences aside, what can you tell us about him?"

Jones looked up from the bench. "What can't I, Sweetie? He's a religious maniac with a creepy wife."

Woody took his hands from his pockets and straightened. "Yeah we figured. But…what's wrong with religion, Mr. Jones?"

"Nothing," Jones folded his arms, bearing his well-developed muscles. "In fact, I'm Catholic. But this guy goes on about it like the world is all-evil and that he has to cleanse it or something."

Woody looked closely at Josh Jones. "Really."

Devan looked at Woody and raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Jones, Adam told us that you called him something and that provoked the punch. Out of curiosity, what exactly did you call him?"

Jones smirked. "Ok, get this," he twirled the spanner in his hand. "Moore's this religious guy right, but he was having an affair. I called him a hypocrite. He said it was the 'will of God'. "

The mocking tone in Jones' voice told Woody something. "So Moore was having an affair," he gave Devan a long look. "Do you know who the woman was?"

Jones gave a half-laugh. "Do I? Everyone knows who she is. Victoria Castlemaine. Hot stuff."

Devan stiffened. "She come around here often?"

Jones nodded. "Oh yeah. He showed her off, with no consideration to what that was doing to his wife."

Woody lifted a finger. "So his wife knew about it?"

Jones shrugged before turning back to the bench he was working at. "Who knows. What's this about anyway? The bastard was found dead?"

Woody and Devan exchanged apprehensive looks. Woody then cleared his throat. "No…but someone was and we need to figure out who."


Jordan walked steadily past Garret's office, deep in thought. Was she losing one of her best friends? Ever since that night they had decided to take things slow, Woody had drifted apart, chasing after Devan instead…who was more than a willing participant in his game. What he had said that night after Jordan suggested for him to stay cut into her like a hot knife through butter.

There's nothing to say we can't 'hook up' every now and then. But we should take things slow.

But slow didn't mean a dead stop, did it?

"Jordan?"

Startled, Jordan turned to face Macy, who was peering out of his office. She retracted her steps to level with him and he straightened.

"Garret?"

He took her false smile with a stern look. "Why bother if you're just going to fake it?"

She gave him a shrinking look. "What's up?"

He looked at her squarely. "I want you to help Devan and Woody on the case they're working on. Unless…you'd prefer not to…?"

Jordan shook her head. "No, I really have nothing else to work on anyway. Surprisingly." She looked around. "Uh…where are they?"

"Oh," Garret looked flippant. "I know Woody likes to call it 'legwork'."

Jordan nodded slowly. "Right. Figures."


Bug paced around in the laboratory; waiting for the current test he was conducting to show up on the computer screen. A light suddenly flickered onto the computer and Bug clicked a few random keys. The results of the test scrolled immediately on the screen and as Bug read them, he became profoundly confused.

"What the hell…?"

The swinging doors opened roughly, Woody walking through followed closely by Devan. "What's up, Bug?"

Bug turned to fleetingly greet them both and then abruptly looked back to the computer screen. "Hi…"

Slowly turning his head towards Devan, Woody gave her a funny look. "Uh…Bug? We found out more about our guy Moore. Ready for this?" When he received no reply, Woody continued. "He was having an affair, with some woman called Victoria Castlemaine. Apparently she was constantly 'showed-off' at the mechanic place Moore worked at. It was common knowledge they were…you know."

Devan raised her eyebrows. "You know…?"

Reacting to her sarcastic echo, Woody inclined his head. "Ok…having sex. Better?"

Devan smirked, turning her head to Bug. "Better."

Bug nodded vaguely, looking seriously at both Devan and Woody. "That's not the only shocking discovery."

Both the Detective and Medical Examiner gave confused looks. "What?"

Gesturing towards the computer, Bug answered their simultaneous question. "Whoever was murdered had leukeamia. Acute."

Devan retracted her head slightly while Woody just stared…and shook his head. "For how long had she had it?"

Bug shook his head in reply. "Judging from this…not long. About a month or two. It's pretty far progressed, and there are no signs of treatment from what I'm seeing here."

Devan stared at the screen. "Wow."

Woody nodded once. "We also know a bit about Moore's wife, Kathleen; Kathy for short. We know she disappeared nine months ago and that she was infertile, but that's all."

Devan cut in. "We do know that Adam was at the scene. And we also know that at least two other people were there that night, if the fingerprints aren't lying."

Woody scratched his head. "Which, you know, they don't often do…"

They were interrupted by the doors being swung open, revealing a curious Jordan. "So…fill me in. I'm working with you guys on this."

Absorbing this, Woody stared, shifting his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. "Welcome aboard, Jordan."